The American Gem Society lists the garnet as the official birthstone for January. The garnet is a beautiful gem, but I was ecstatic when I recently discovered that the secondary stone for this month is the rose quartz! As many of you know, rose quartz is one of my favorite stones!

"Rose Quartz is a stone of the heart, a Crystal of Unconditional Love. It carries a soft feminine energy of compassion and peace, tenderness and healing. It speaks directly to the Heart Chakra, circulating a Divine loving energy throughout the entire aura. Its said to reawaken the heart to its own innate love, it provides a deep sense of personal fulfillment and contentment, allowing one the capacity to truly give and receive love from others."

The first time I worked with rose quartz was when I the made the fist Lolita earrings for a Breast Cancer Awareness event. This is a cause close to my heart so I wanted to pick a stone that would be strong yet feminine, while radiating love. Its also a beautiful stone that connects female relationships, my mom, sister and best friend have given me this stone and I carry them with me always.

"Healing the heart of its wounds and reawakening its trust is one of Rose Quartz’s gifts. Its soothing vibrations are a balm to the emotions, and they calm and cleanse the entire auric field. It engenders the release of tension and stress, the dissolution of anger and resentment, the dispelling of fear and suspicion, and the rebirth of hope and faith in the benevolence of the Universe. Rose Quartz is clearly feminine in tone, and it is one of the stones of the Great Mother. It not only activates the human heart chakra—it also links one’s personal heart to the heart of the Earth and the Heart of the Universe. Its love vibrations can penetrate down to the cellular level, reprogramming the cells for joy and longevity rather than despair and death. This reprogramming capacity is the source of the healing potential of Rose Quartz.

Rose Quartz is one of the most important stones to wear; to use in meditation, sleep, and body layouts, and to keep in one’s environment. Placing a good-sized chunk of Rose Quartz in each room of one’s house can fill the entire structure with its gentle energies, keeping the energy of love in focus for all who live there. For one’s meditation or sleeping room, a Rose Quartz in every corner is not overdoing it. At work, a Rose Quartz around one’s neck or on one’s desk can keep one’s interactions with others in the highest possible state of harmony."

I could go on and on about this stone... its just so beautiful. I cant wait for January to come around, I know exactly what I'll be gifting my friends celebrating their day!

What are alternative birthstones?

"Many cultures all over the world, some dating back to ancient times, have assigned precious and semi-precious gems to parts of their calendars. It was only relatively recently that these traditions were consolidated into what we now consider the modern, “standard” birthstone calendar, which was established by the National Association of Jewelers in 1912—however, this list has continued to change and shift over time.

Some secondary birthstones are remnants from ancient cultural calendars around the world, while others are new additions, added because of their similarity or complementary nature to the primary stones. Because many standard birthstones are incredibly rare, and therefore quite expensive, some alternative birthstones reflect the jewelry industry’s desire to give people a wider range of options, both in terms of budgets and tastes."

Simmons, Robert, Naisha Ahsian, and Hazel Raven. The Book of Stones: Who They Are and What They Teach. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic, 2015. Print.

Eeeeekk.. We're beyond excited to be recognized by one of our favorite magazines! According to LaShauna C. Williams (their Senior Credits Editor) the "iridescent Swarovski crystals on these earrings are gorgeous!" Indeed, the Swarovski is crystal we use on this earring is an incredible piece, which combines pops of blue, grey and pink amongst bursts of purple.

LeShauna goes on to say, "I also really love how the design doesn't have a classic closure on the back, but a look through- a silhouette that seems to be having a huge moment right now." The entire piece is handcrafted by BECK designer, Rebecca. She crafts the 'loop' using 14k gold-filled wires. A technique that is used on all our classic pieces.

Nothing like receiving flowers from your hubby to clear up a cloudy day :) 🌸 Earrings fresh from our Lolita collection... in Aquamarine!

Known as a stone of prosperity and happiness, the Peridot is the August birthstone. It is a heart chakra stone with a vibration that is calming to the body, and is said to aid positivity, elevating your overall level of happiness. Next time you pick up one of these incredible stones, look past it's beauty and pay attention to the way it makes you feel ✨

Good morning from this little piece of heaven 🙌🏼 our little hotel is providing me with so much inspiration... Feeling like we're in a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel

Beware: Beauty lurks around every corner of this magical city

We always strive for excellence. Sometimes this industry is challenging but moments like this make it all worthwhile... the beautiful, ground-breaking and always inspirational Misty Copeland wears our BECK Choker in the August issue of Cosmopolitan. It is always an honor to be recognized by a leading publication and to have a true gem like Ms. Copeland wear BECK is beyond gratifying. Always thankful to our clients and we strive to make you proud... xxB-Misty Copeland is a legendary ballerina and the first African-American performer to be appointed a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre. "Her trailblazing accomplishments have been recognized by a range of institutions, and in spring 2015 she was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, a rare feat for someone from the dance world."